1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a connector fixing structure of a power receiving side connector to be attached to a vehicle body as a feeder connector used for charging a battery in an electric vehicle.
2. Background Art
FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a usual example of a feeder connector used for charging a battery in an electric vehicle.
The feeder connector 1 is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2752032 and includes a feeder side connector 3 connected to a feeder device not shown in the drawing and a power receiving side connector 5 attached to a connector attaching part 4 of a vehicle body of the electric vehicle so as to be fitted and connected by the feeder side connector 3.
The connector attaching part 4 includes an electric wire insertion opening 41 for inserting an electric wire, or the like, extended from a back surface of the power receiving side connector 5 and screw insertion holes 42 which are formed in the periphery of the electric wire insertion opening 41 to screw the power receiving side connector 5.
The power receiving side connector 5 includes an outer tube wall part 51 of a tubular structure having a diameter smaller than that of the electric wire insertion opening 41, an opening and closing cap 52, a flange part 53 and metal collars 54.
The outer tube wall part 51 is a tubular part having an inner periphery to which a front side tube part 3a of a tubular housing of the feeder side connector 3 is fitted and connected. As shown in FIG. 8, power supply terminal accommodating tube parts 57 which accommodate and hold power supply terminals and signal terminal accommodating tube parts 58 which accommodate and hold terminals for signals are provided inside the outer tube wall part 51.
The opening and closing cap 52 is a substantially circular cover member which covers an opening 51a of the outer tube wall part 51 so as to be opened and closed. As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the opening and closing cap 52 is provided with an engaging part 52a in one side of an outer periphery. Further, the other side of the outer periphery opposed to the engaging part 52a is connected to the outer tube wall part 51 by a hinge mechanism 59 so as to freely rotate.
The opening and closing cap 52 rotates by the hinge mechanism 59 to open and close the opening 51a. Under a state that the opening and closing cap 52 closes the opening 51a, a cap engaging piece 61 formed in a separate member and fixed to an outer periphery of the outer tube wall part 51 is engaged with the engaging part 52a. Thus, the opening and closing cap 52 is fixed to close the opening 51a. 
The flange part 53 is formed to protrude in the form of a collar in the outer periphery of the outer tube wall part 51. The flange part 53 is overlapped on a peripheral edge part of the electric wire insertion opening 41 of the connector attaching part 4.
The metal collars 54 are tubular members into which screw members can be inserted and fixed to positions on the flange part 53 corresponding to the screw insertion holes 42. The metal collars 54 are, for instance, pressed-in to lower holes passing through the flange part 53 to be fixed to the flange part 53. The metal collars 54 may be not only pressed-in and fixed to the flange part 53, but also insert-molded integrally with the flange part 53 during a formation of the flange part 53.
In an ordinary case, as shown in FIG. 7, the flange part 53 is overlapped on the connector attaching part 4 from an outer surface side of the vehicle body so that the above-described power receiving side connector 5 is fastened and fixed to the connector attaching part 4 by male screw members 63 and nuts 64.
When the flange part 53 is overlapped on the connector attaching part 4, an operation is previously carried out that the electric wire extended from the back surface of the power receiving side connector 5 is inserted into the electric wire insertion opening 41.
The size of a terminal connector connected to the electric wire extended from the back surface of the power receiving side connector 5 changes depending on the standard of a feeder part mounted on the vehicle. Some of the electric wires are too large to be inserted into the electric wire insertion opening 41.
The electric wire to which such a large terminal connector is connected cannot be inserted into the electric wire insertion opening 41. Accordingly, in the case of the power receiving side connector 5 having the large terminal connector is connected to the end of the electric wire, the power receiving side connector 5 is attached to the connector attaching part 4 from an inner surface side of the vehicle body. In this case, usually, a bracket 21 is attached to the power receiving side connector 5 and the power receiving side connector 5 is attached to the connector attaching part 4 through the bracket 21 as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.